Globes feel pretty with TV nods

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The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. ushered in the new on the comedy side and stuck with the old in the drama field, bestowing top TV honors to ABC's blockbuster drama hit "Grey's Anatomy" and hot freshman comedy "Ugly Betty."

"Betty" star America Ferrera and Alec Baldwin -- star of another rookie comedy, NBC's "30 Rock" -- won the top comedy acting prizes, while the leads of established hits, Hugh Laurie of Fox's "House" and Kyra Sedgwick of TNT's "The Closer," were named top actors in the drama races.

ABC's leading three trophies were matched by HBO, whose Emmy-winning period drama "Elizabeth I" was the most-heralded TV program with three Golden Globes -- for best miniseries or TV movie, star Helen Mirren and supporting actor Jeremy Irons.

This is the second consecutive year that ABC and Touchstone TV swept the top series categories at the Globes, having accomplished the feat last year with drama "Lost" and dramedy "Desperate Housewives."

"Every single intern at Seattle Grace Hospital would say, 'Seriously?' " said an exuberant Shonda Rhimes, creator and executive producer of "Grey's."

This is the first major series win for the steamy medical drama, which was upset at the Emmys in August.

Said "Betty" creator/executive producer Silvio Horta, "Like a lot of its characters and a lot of us up here right now, this show is an immigrant, and Betty is a testament to the American dream." Horta was surrounded onstage by the show's cast and producing team, including Mexican-born Salma Hayek, an executive producer and co-star. "And the American dream is, in fact, alive and well and within reach of anyone in the world who wants it."

Minutes later, the show's star, Ferrera, the only first-time nominee in the best actress in a comedy series category, began weeping when she heard her name.

"Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for recognizing the show and this character who is truly bringing a new face to television and such a beautiful, beautiful message about beauty that lies deeper than what we see," she said through tears. "It is such an honor to play a role that I hear from young girls on a daily basis how it makes them feel worthy and lovable and that they have more to offer the world than they thought."

After his name was announced as the winner in the best actor in a comedy series category, Baldwin hopped backstage and then made a grand appearance onstage from the wings.

"I'm glad this isn't too heavy because I just had hernia surgery Dec. 21," first-time Golden Globe winner Baldwin said. "Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for remembering your old pal in the autumn of my career here." Baldwin is 48.

The characters of a doctor and a detective who have poor bedside manners but get the job done earned Laurie and Sedgwick wins in the lead drama acting categories.

"I am speechless. I am literally without a speech," Laurie said in accepting his second consecutive Globe statuette for his role on the Fox medical drama. He hugged Greg Grunberg of NBC's "Heroes," one of the award's presenters and his bandmate in the Band From TV.

To prevent that from happening in the future, Laurie suggested that along with "free shoes and free cuff links and free colonic irrigations," companies should offer award nominees free acceptance speeches, too. "I would love to be able to pull out a speech by Dolce & Gabbana," he said.

Laurie went on to thank "the two people to whom I owe absolutely everything, the two cleverest and funniest and kindest and frankly best bosses that a man can hope to have, ("House" creator) David Shore and (executive producer) Katie Jacobs."

Sedgwick picked up her first major trophy for her role on "Closer." "I am completely in awe," she said. "This show has been such an amazing gift, an unexpected gift, which is the very, very best kind."

In the five longform and supporting categories, the Globes spoke with a British accent, bestowing three awards on "Elizabeth I" and two to BBC America's "Gideon's Daughter."

"We had extraordinary performances from Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy, but of all, this award belongs to two people who were with us right from the beginning when the project was no more than the two dusty history books, our writer Nigel Williams and I think now Britain's longest-reigning queen, the exquisite Helen Mirren," said "Elizabeth I" executive producer George Faber in accepting the best miniseries or TV movie award for the HBO period drama.

Like Mirren, her co-star Irons added a Golden Globe to the Emmy he won for his role in the movie.

"Why is it that the jobs that are the most fun are the ones that give you the awards? It's like you don't deserve them," he said. "I'm supporting Helen Mirren, and if you can't support Helen Mirren, you can't do anything."

The two-generation tale "Gideon's" won for star Bill Nighy and co-star Emily Blunt. "I used to think that prizes were damaging and divisive until I got one," Nighy said. "But now they seem sort of meaningful and real."